AMD’s new Ryzen processors will take on Intel starting next week

AMD is launching three new Ryzen 7 processors on March 2 the will attempt to take the crown for fastest PC processors in the world from rival Intel. AMD’s new processors are all 8-core affairs, which the company says will best similarly specced rivals from Intel’s Core i line at similar price points ($330, $400 and $500 respectively).

The new Ryzen processors will help bring back “innovation and competition” to the high-end PC market, AMD claims, which means they’re being very humble about their prospects with this lineup. They’re going on sale at 180 retailers worldwide, including via boutique PC OEMs who aim at overclockers and other core hobbyists and pros.

The Rysen 7 processors will be sold individually and in OEM system configurations, and they could help AMD build on some of the momentum in this segment it has achieved with affordable, VR-capable GPUs like the Radeon RX 480. Pre-orders for the new Ryzen processors begin today.